Queensland’s community legal services has received a billion-dollar boost with the path cleared for a national funding agreement to be activated.
State Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said the Government had increased funding to the legal assistance sector by $142 million, bring total state funding to $1 billion over five years.
Attorney-General Frecklington said the additional funding would unlock $827 million in Commonwealth funding under the National Access to Justice Partnership (NAJP) from July 2025.
“This will give certainty to the community legal sector at a time when their services are needed more than ever,” she said.
Attorney-General Frecklington said both sets of funding would go towards legal aid services, community legal centres, women’s legal services, elder abuse and health justice initiatives, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legal services and supplementary legal assistance services.
She said a core component of the NAJP would allow community legal assistance providers to reduce pay disparity with legal aid commissions, helping frontline services recruit and retain staff.
“Importantly, for the first time, Family Violence Prevention and Legal Services (FVPLS) will be funded through the NAJP.
“These services play a critical role in assisting First Nations women and children impacted by domestic and family violence and sexual violence.”
